Suppliers to AB Vassilopoulos are progressively switching from white wood exchange pallets to CHEP pooled pallets because of the increase in efficiency they will gain as a result.

Athens, Greece – Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos, a leading food retailer in Greece and part of the Belgium-based Delhaize Group, has experienced a 16% year-on-year increase in the number of CHEP pallets it handles.

AB Vassilopoulos is currently handling more than 200,000 CHEP pallets each year, as suppliers switch to CHEP’s higher quality pooled pallets to ship goods to its distribution centres and stores across Greece.

AB Vassilopoulos Warehouse Manager Alexandros Anagnostopoulos said: “Using a pallet pooling service creates supply chain efficiencies and allows our suppliers to concentrate on manufacturing their products, rather than having to be concerned with pallet availability. The high quality of CHEP pallets helps protect products in transit, compared with white wood pallets, which are generally in poor condition from being used numerous times in different industries without being inspected or repaired.”

CHEP and AB Vassilopoulos have worked closely over several months to develop a plan to optimise the retailer’s supply chain operations, which involved the conversion of suppliers to use CHEP.

AB Vassilopoulos has also introduced CHEP display pallets in its stores to increase product visibility and help reduce stock-out occurrences. The CHEP half (600x800mm) and quarter (400x600mm) pallets used for this purpose are easy to handle, resulting in improved logistics efficiency.

CHEP Greece Country Manager Stavros Kazakos said: “We are delighted AB Vassilopoulos is experiencing an increase in the use of CHEP pallets by its suppliers. We have been able to demonstrate to AB Vassilopoulos and its suppliers the actual costs associated with using white wood exchange pallets and the efficiencies to be gained by switching to CHEP. The significant increase in the volume of CHEP pallets AB Vassilopoulos is handling demonstrates that an increasing number of its suppliers are acknowledging the advantages of switching to CHEP.”

Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos and the Delhaize Group

Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos was established in 1969 and listed on the Athens Stock Exchange in 1990. In 1992 it joined the Delhaize Group, a Belgium-based international food retailer with operations in six countries; the USA, Belgium, Greece, Romania, Indonesia and Luxembourg.

Founded in 1867 in Belgium, the Delhaize Group sales network includes over 2,600 stores employing a total of 141,000 personnel. In 2008, it achieved sales revenue of €19 billion and a net profit of €467 million.

For more information about Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos please visit: http://www.ab.gr